Stew's WWE WrestleMania 40 Night One Review | 411MANIA

I am feeling enthusiastic. And how about you? I am filled with anticipation and eagerness.

It seems like this year's 'Mania will be awesome. Maybe we'll be disappointed later on, but it's unlikely. WWE has done a good job with Every-Ten-'Manias. WrestleManias 10, 20, and 30 were all well-liked, and interestingly enough, each ended with the audience's top pick winning the world title.

Could this possibly be a sign of how this grand event will come to a close? Only time will tell! However, I am feeling incredibly excited for the journey leading up to that moment.

As I am currently observing the Pre-Show, I am clueless about Michael Cole's fashion choice. It appears as if he mistakenly ended up at the Country Music Awards. However, it is his preference after all. On the bright side, Kayla Braxton's outfit is absolutely stunning.

It's really cool to have Big E and CM Punk on the pre-show team. I'm a big fan of Big E, he's awesome! I hope they give him more opportunities to shine. Maybe they could have him commentate on matches or do something else on the show. He's a talented and nice guy who deserves more recognition.

When it comes to stars, it's time to celebrate because one of our favorites, ROXANNE PEREZ, has won back her NXT Women's Championship today!

Alright, I'm talking excessively while the pre-show is running. It's time for me to eat some dinner and then I'll return for the main event.

At 7:06 in the evening, the discussion about the weather this coming weekend seems to never end. Who came up with the idea of hosting WrestleMania early in April in an outdoor arena in the North? They could have experienced any type of weather condition! It was a huge gamble! They are fortunate that the weather is just around 50 degrees. It is almost as hot as they could have expected!

At 7:08 in the evening, I, being a supporter of the Seahawks team, would like to express my lack of faith in any occurrence that bears the label of XL (also known as #40 in its series). I have a strong belief that the referees will unfairly disadvantage some of the wrestlers before the conclusion of this spectacle.

It's 7:10pm and we have entered the official start of WrestleMania. At this point, we witness a Triple H ring introduction. However, he is not actually going to participate in the event. Despite this, fans are still excited to see him. It's worth it just to hear his introduction and welcome us all to WrestleMania. After a short greeting, he steps out of the ring. This is following a two-hour long Pre-Show prior to the start of the main event.

The first match of the night is BECKY LYNCH VS RHEA RHIPLEY, and Becky enters the ring with a quote from her recently published autobiography. I think this will be the most exciting match of the night, along with the tag team ladder match or Sami vs GUNTHER. I even mentioned this as my pick during the Best Film Ever podcast earlier today, so I'm sticking with it now!

At 7:16pm, Rhea Ripley was greeted by the band playing her theme song as she made her way to the ring. Wow, I am extremely excited for WrestleMania! This match, along with the entire event, has me feeling hyped up. Let's get this started!

It's now 7:23pm and we have two different tales to tell: Becky Lynch has been dealing with a case of strep throat, while Rhea Ripley has experienced an injury in her left wrist. At the start of the match, Becky focused on attacking Rhea's arm. As someone who has played the WWE 2K24 My GM Mode game, it's apparent to me that Becky may have requested some time off due to her condition, but was denied by the higher-ups. This unfortunate situation may have negatively affected Becky's morale.

At 7:25 in the evening, after a Tornado DDT move, Rhea gained support from the fans, although it wasn't as overwhelming as her previous matches, considering that Becky Lynch is her opponent. Becky is one of the rare women wrestlers who can obtain cheers even against a formidable opponent such as The Eradicator.

At 7:27 pm, I noticed that Becky's gear had some lines from her book scribbled on it. That's quite intriguing! I must say, writing can be a challenging task. Congrats to her on this accomplishment. Personally, I have been contemplating on writing an autobiography, but unfortunately, I don't have any idea where to begin.

At 7:35 pm, Rhea Electric Chain showed off her impressive athletic abilities by controlling Becky with a particular move. They ended up outside the ring, but Rhea maintained her hold on Becky and executed a stunning Electric Chair Drop on the hard floor. It was quite a spectacle! Upon returning to the ring, Rhea went for a Frog Splash and almost got the three count, but Becky managed to kick out at two.

At 7:37pm, Rhea managed to keep her title after executing a double Riptide move, with the first one slamming her opponent into the top turnbuckle. She was able to overcome the challenge posed by Becky Lynch, but this begs the question: will Rhea continue to hold the title until next year's WrestleMania, where she is expected to face Royal Rumble champion, Jade Cargill? It seems like no other wrestler would be able to defeat her before then, which means Rhea could have an impressive reign as champion. The WWE seems to enjoy these kinds of long-lasting reigns lately.

(Even though I'm jumping the gun a bit)

At 7:40pm, the upcoming event is the Six Team Tag Team Ladder Match. Following the ads, which featured a preview of Zack Snyder's latest uninspired film, Rebel Moon Part Whatever No One Cares.

At around 7:45pm, the DIY team appeared dressed up in their Degeneration X costumes. Truth, the talented artist, made his entrance singing his own entrance music. It is worth noting that the Tag Team Titles were hung separately, about a foot apart. The question is, will the championships be split up in this match or is it simply a trick to excite the fans of tag team wrestling? Keep watching to find out!

At 7:50pm, Michael Cole mentioned that both titles must be won. It will be interesting to see how the situation unfolds.

At 7:51pm, I want to emphasize that all three groups - #DIY, The New Catch Republic, and A-Town Down Under - have chosen to wear green outfit, which I strongly dislike.

At 7:54pm, Damien Priest performed a move known as Razor's Edge on Pete Dunne while he was on the ladder, making him land onto Tyler Bate.

At 7:57pm, I am thoroughly enjoying myself! R-Truth has received the hot tag from Miz and is on a roll. He's doing moves that remind us of John Cena, and even AA'd Balor through a ladder! Gargano joined in by hitting Balor with Sweet Chin Music, and Ciampa finished him off with a Fairy Tale Ending / Pedigree move. It's all so exciting! The Regeneration X team decided to split the tag titles between them, but they were stopped by A-Town Down, who managed to win the Smackdown tag team titles. However, the match wasn't over yet! The Raw tag team titles were still up for grabs, and the match continued with non-stop action. It's so fast-paced that I can't keep track of everything!

At 8:03pm, Ciampa hurled an air raid attack at Tyler Bate while he was on top of a ladder!

At 8:07pm, the car crashes that happen during WrestleMania are usually very entertaining and this year was no exception. The team known as The Awesome Truth managed to win the Raw Tag Team Titles in a very exciting match. R-Truth was especially popular with the crowd, and even the team New Day had some great moments in the match. It was a lot of fun, and everyone played their part well. This show is meeting all my expectations so far.

At 8:13pm, the show continued with some more advertisements, and the next match features REY MYSTERO AND ANDRADE versus DIRTY DOM AND SANTOS ESCOBAR.

At 8:21pm, during the WrestleMania event, I couldn't help but question if a branded match was necessary. To my disappointment, all the LED screens were abruptly filled with Minute Maid advertisements.

At 8:32 in the evening, the competition heats up as both squads bring in a large number of supporters. Consequently, many wrestlers dressed as luchadors can be seen soaring through the air. The match reaches its peak when two enormous wrestlers wearing masks intervene to prevent Dirty Dominik from cheating. As a result, Rey triumphs once more over his son at WrestleMania, despite my earlier prediction. It's really unfortunate that Dom can't seem to secure a victory at WrestleMania.

Oh, and the two hefty dudes are part of the Philadelphia Eagles team. Therefore, I assume that's worth mentioning.

At 8:40pm, the JIMMY USO VS JEY USO video package was truly impressive. It served as a reminder that when WWE decides to create a WrestleMania vignette to promote a match, they are unrivaled in their ability to do so.

At 8:44 pm, Jey initiates the game in a dynamic manner by performing a dive onto his identical sibling while the latter is entering the ring.

At 8:47 pm, I foresee Jimmy emerging victorious in this bout and the ongoing rivalry between the two brands will persist until SummerSlam or beyond. It's more crucial for Jimmy to win as compared to Jey, who is already adored by the masses. In the Bloodline, Jimmy Uso is the fifth most significant member, including Paul Heyman.

Furthermore, it has been observed that in all the previous WrestleMania matches between siblings, the villainous wrestler emerged victorious. So, wouldn't it make sense to maintain that trend?

At 8:50pm, amidst the playful exchange of "YEET!" or "BOO!" between them, I find myself still thinking that this angle lacks a proper follow-up. I've mentioned this a number of times before, but I'm still unable to understand why Jimmy has so much hatred towards Jey, especially considering that he previously stopped his brother from taking down Roman because he didn't want Jey to turn into a nasty person like Reigns.

At 8:53pm, Jey emerged victorious in a Superkick-off match. However, when Jimmy was offered a finishing move by Jey, he pretended to apologize but it was just a trick! Jimmy quickly attacked Jey with a surprise superkick and followed it up with a quick splash, but Jey managed to kick out of the pin.

At 8:56pm, Jey Uso emerged victorious, putting an end to the streak of immoral siblings succeeding at WrestleMania. However, the match seemed to lack intensity and remained at a moderate pace. It was decent, but it failed to reach great heights. I feel that it was satisfactory, but I had hoped for a better outcome.

At almost nine in the evening, there were some advertisements, and then I saw that Night Swim was available on Peacock. I think I'll check it out sometime this week. After that, I tuned into DAMAGE CTRL VS BIANCA BELAIR, NAOMI, AND JADE CARGILL.

At 9:09pm, the announcer wastes no time in highlighting that Asuka has never emerged victorious at WrestleMania and is unlikely to do so this evening. This information is conveyed within the first minute of the match.

It's 9:12 pm and I just realized there was a WINGSTOP commercial on the top left corner of my screen all night. Or maybe it only appeared during this match? However, now it's gone and seems like it never existed. Perhaps, I'm losing my mind.

It's strange that WrestleMania is promoting the 50 cent wings at both Applebees and Wingstop tonight. However, I'm unsure if I actually saw the advertisement for Wingstop or if I just imagined it.

At 9:16pm, Jade gets a chance to enter the game and stuns Damage CTRL, making her look more impressive. Later on, Jade uses her finishing move, Jaded, to win the match as expected.

I can't stop pondering over the Wingstop ad that appeared out of nowhere. I have this urge for some garlic parmesan wings, but now I'm in a dilemma about where to get them from - Wingstop or Applebees? It's driving me crazy!

At 9:20 pm, SAMI ZAYN will be facing GUNTHER in the upcoming match! Will Sami be able to conquer the challenge and triumph over his opponent in this significant event? We'll just have to wait and find out!

At 9:26 pm, Sami had a camera following him as he walked towards where the gorilla is located. Chad Gable advised him to go to the ring by himself, assuring him that he can handle it. Sami then spotted Kevin Owen at the gorilla area, receiving last-minute motivation, which meant that it was time for him to make his way to the ring.

The audience's excitement for Sami appears to have decreased compared to a year ago. This could be due to the events he has participated in. Additionally, it's possible that the crowd is feeling chilly at this late hour in Philadelphia.

Starting now, I am going to watch this match at home and hope that Sami comes out victorious. In my opinion, this would be the ideal outcome for both players.

At 9:36 pm, I'm really rooting for Sami to come out on top because according to the commentators, losing would mean he'll be seen as a disappointment to his family.

At 9:41 in the evening, Sami resisted a Double Powerbomb and it sparked up the excitement of the audience!

At 9:46pm, Sami achieved an impressive victory! He executed a top rope Brainbuster onto the turnbuckle, then delivered two powerful Helluva Kicks to emerge as the winner. The David Vs Goliath match was highly entertaining, with GUNTHER trying to land his big moves while Sami took the hits without giving up. Sami finally clinched the victory, thus earning a significant milestone. Meanwhile, GUNTHER can now focus on other challenges and perhaps enter the main event scene. Ultimately, it was a win-win situation for everyone involved.

Primarily myself. I am extremely pleased with that outcome.

It's 9:52pm and here goes another Applebees commercial bragging about their victory in a taste test competition for the best boneless wings. Surprisingly, they don't even have the word "wing" in their name, according to the ad. Oh boy, Applebees is really coming for Wingstop with this one!

I also presume that Buffalo Wild Wings is included.

At 9:54pm, Nick Aldis and Adam Pearce have arrived. Did they come to reveal the number of people present? Yes, indeed. The turnout is over 72,000, which is great news for WWE.

Coming up next at 10:05pm, get ready for the highly anticipated match between Roman Reigns and The Rock versus Cody Rhodes and Seth "Freaking" Rollins! This tag team match is rumored to be the largest in WrestleMania history.

Wow, that pre-match video was amazing! WWE really knows how to create engaging content. It would be great if they could make me some videos to watch before I start my workday too. I'm sure it would help me perform my job much more efficiently.

At 10:12pm, Rocky is surprised with a top-notch video wall called Final Boss and an entrance featuring a fiery Brahma bull. To top it off, he proudly displays the People's Championship Title he was awarded at the Hall of Fame event.

It's 10:20 in the evening, and the introduction of Roman Reigns is still happening, lasting for eight more minutes.

It's 10:24 pm and the Wingstop commercial is still fresh in my mind. The match is just about to begin and the bell rings.

At 10:31pm, Rock takes over and we'll observe how he performs and what his capabilities are at this point!

At 10:33pm, the audience is highly invested in the ongoing match. They eagerly chant for their favorite wrestlers, including ROCKY and Seth, and sing songs in support of CODY. It's not unexpected to hear passionate opinions from the crowd, especially in a city like Philadelphia.

At 10:37 pm, Rock cursed again and warned the referee not to count the count-out. Meanwhile, everyone left the ring and began fighting in the arena. Rock hit Rollins with a trash can, and along with the count-out threat came a potential disqualification. The whole scene was reminiscent of the Attitude Era, with brawling in the crowd and plenty of punching and kicking. The referee seemed to ignore the chaos and refused to disqualify anyone.

It's currently 10:46pm and I've just noticed an advertisement for "American Home Shield" in the top left corner. Honestly, I have no clue what that is or what they're selling. I briefly wondered if their chicken wings were any good, but the ad disappeared before I could investigate further. It's starting to make me question my sanity.

At 10:48pm, there was an occurrence where Rock hit Seth hard in his private area. This incident made the match similar to the attitude era times.

At 11:02pm, Rock and Reigns successfully defended against dual Pedigrees! This match is thrilling. I'm too engrossed to jot down many notes.

At 11:05pm, Cody enforced a powerful move on Rock by slamming him onto the announce table. In another wrestling move, Roman charged towards Seth and hit him with a spear, as anticipated by the audience.

At 11:06pm, I noticed the American Home Shield advertisement briefly reappear before disappearing once more. It's like my own version of Mr. Mxyzptlk.

At 11:09pm, Cody was pinned by Rock after being hit by Roman's Spear, a Rock Bottom, and the People's Elbow. As expected, this creates the opportunity for a high-energy main event on Night Two, with multiple wrestlers in a big trash can match (and that's a great thing!). There will be plenty of action and excitement to look forward to.

That's just Night One done! We see some familiar scenes from last year where Cody looked upset sitting in the ring while Roman Reigns celebrated behind him.

What are your thoughts on the first night of WrestleMania? Are you anticipating the second night? In your opinion, which night will be better? Which match did you consider as the best one?

Share your thoughts with us by leaving a comment!

Take care until tomorrow evening!